Heartless
by Niknakz93
Summary: AU: Beast by day and man by night, Jace is cursed. When Clary's brother invokes the terrible rage of the Beast that terrorises their world and stalks their lives, she is offered up as an unwilling tribute and stolen away to his castle. But Clary might just be his final chance of salvation before it's too late. -Lemonade and vulgar language-
1. Prologue

Welcome to

 **HEARTLESS**.

I have been long obsessed with _East of the Sun and West of the Moon_ , and Howl's Moving Castle. A good while ago now I came up with this: _Heartless_. A story inspired by both tales. And I thought... "Why not tweak bits so that it could fit a TMI fanfiction?" With _Chasing the Sun_ over, tada! Here is your new story. _Heartless_ most definitely has adult moments and situations in it. (Because since when have I ever wrote a story that has _no_ sexytimes in? Lololol.) There is magic, there is romance, there is drama and even more drama. It's Jace with teeth and claws... for real. And I love this story, and hope that you do as well! So please, please review! It would mean so much!

Enjoy the prologue!

 **oOoOo**

The stars were nothing more than silent sentinels as the figure cloaked in shadows slipped through the line of towering trees and into the castle grounds.

As quiet as the still wind, he hurried his pace. Soon he would arrive. Soon the Beast would return. Soon it would shed its weak human skin in favour of claws and fur. At sunrise the monster that haunted his - everyone's life - would return. At least, that was what the stories said. And there was always some truth in every story.

Jonathan's chaotic thoughts turned to Isabelle. When the Beast was slayed, and he was hailed a hero, she would _have_ to accept his advances.

Isabelle was terribly beautiful. _You're barking mad going after a piece of tail like that!_ his friends had said, punching his shoulder and roaring with mirth. Though Jonathan knew that they were the voice of reason, he still lost himself within those deep dark eyes. It was like she had captured the stars within them. They had bewitched Jonathan immediately.

Rows of bright white flowers lined the path. Small and delicate with heart-shaped petals that shone silver in the moonlight. _I'll pick them,_ Jonathan vowed. _After the Beast is vanquished and I am royalty, I shall gift her with an entire field full of them._ Girls liked flowers, didn't they? Isabelle always seemed to sport a little pink starflower in her midnight hair. The white flowers he had found would look just as lovely, he reckoned.

Maybe the bouquet she would hold on her wedding day would consist just of them. Or her veil. Or train.

But first he had to bring back the Beast's head.

The blade at his hip didn't belong to him. It was a piece commissioned for the prince of Idris, but Jonathan figured that a hero like himself needed a sword that reflected his bravery. Plus, when he ascended to the throne, he'd need a fine sword to keep at his hip.

The servants quarter door was unlocked when Jonathan tried it. _Arrogance,_ he sneered. _He thinks he's safe!_

And with that, the young blacksmith slipped inside.

None of the torches were lit. The entire castle was shrouded in a darkness so penetrating that it seemed to steal the very warmth from his breath. Jonathan wondered silently as he passed through the shadowy kitchen how he was actually going to find the Beast, let alone kill it. So many rooms and no light? It seemed next to impossible. Right now, it could be watching from the dark corners.

When Jonathan stepped into the vast ballroom, he stopped dead. Even though he was barely more than tiptoeing, the sound still echoed again and again. Heart hammering inside his chest and breathing uneven, he spied a warm golden light filtering out from beneath a colossal set of double doors.

This was it. The time to steel his nerves and become a legend.

Raising the blade, Jon took a step towards the door. "Think of Isabelle," he whispered to himself. "She will bear you beautiful children. And with your strength and brains, strong ones at that."

Jonathan threw himself into the room with a war-cry, sword held high and a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. The room was a library even larger and grander than the ballroom and its walls were lined with more books than he could count.

And right before him was the Beast. At least, the back of his golden head showed above the chair he was sat in. It shone like the golden statues set either side of the door.

"Visitors?" the figure in the chair suddenly called. It shocked Jonathan how young he sounded. "Or another man here for my head?" he sighed wearily. Jonathan watched him set down his book upon the table next to him; he didn't understand what the title said. He didn't read so well. After all, why did a blacksmith need to know how to read?

"From your silence, you must be neither. Or maybe you are a mere, desperate man? You are no professional assassin. Otherwise I'd be dead already. Do hurry up and decide what you're going to do, I'm really rather tired. And dawn approaches. You and I both know what that means."

 _Isabelle,_ he reminded himself. Then he charged forward with a wild cry and thrust his blade through the back of the chair and into the creature. He didn't stop pushing or let go until the hilt slammed against the back of it.

Time seemed to stop.

Jonathan sank to his knees, numbness spreading through him. He felt weak, shaky even. Done it. He had done the impossible and killed the monster. And it hadn't been quite as difficult as he had been expecting. Now, he was a legend. Now, he would be a king.

The sword clattered to the floor by his knees. Jonathan only vaguely noticed that there was no blood on the blade. Nothing at all stained the metal.

And then the sword moved, a slim hand picking it up by the hilt. Alarmed, Jonathan began to look up.

His blade was a flash of silver and nothing more as it sliced across his eyes.

"Count yourself lucky," the monster growled above him, though Jonathan could barely hear him over his own screams of agony. "You didn't see me. Therefore, you may live."

But Jonathan just screamed and screamed, scrabbling at his ruined eyes. And the Beast paid him no attention, reaching once more for his book.

 _Don't forget to review! :) x_


	2. Chapter One

_Rule one: never ever kiss the Beast. For if you do so, your heart is sure to fail._

 ** _oOoOo_**

The notice appeared the day after Clary's brother, the blacksmith, vanished from the town without a trace within the night. It had been a fairly normal day for Clary until she saw the notice along with everyone else; she had mended Isabelle's dress once again, and received no thank-you as per usual. During breakfast she had had to endure Isabelle's constant, endless talk about Meliorn, the messenger from the castle. Every Monday morning she would venture into the bustling town square to watch him tack up the newest message from the castle, batting her eyelashes hopefully at him. Clary was dragged along each time, and not by choice. And Meliorn never looked twice at Isabelle, much to her intense frustration and fury.

"Am I not beautiful?!" she had raged the previous Monday. "I am stunning, and yet he gives Clary his smiles instead! And she is... drab and unremarkable. And not a noble. She's there to make _me_ look good!"

By now, Clary was more than used to being talked about as if she was not there. If anything, she was surprised that Isabelle even remembered her name. Though she lived in Isabelle's splendid manor, she was nothing more than an unwelcome pet that paid to be there. Or that was how Clary felt, anyway.

The walk into the town had been normal too. Isabelle belittled and insulted the most recent of her rich suitors, and as Clary predicted, her brother came up straight after.

"Did you see the hair on his face? Disgusting! Why, I thought him the Beast himself the last time he came to call. Oh, and remember when he kept sending those huge and positively dreadful yellow flowers? So gaudy! A lady is to be small and delicate, not large and loud. In any sense..." Clary didn't miss the way her adoptive sister's eyes travelled up and down her body, badly disguising the disgust and jealousy at her small figure. Isabelle claimed often that she was taller than any woman ought to be.

"Either way," Isabelle sniffed, "I'm very glad that your brother lives at that... shop. He'd track filth everywhere and cause the house to stink, I'm afraid."

Clary loved her brother. Though just what he saw in Isabelle, she had no idea. Maybe he, like the other men who had also fallen hard for her, had been drawn to her beauty like a moth to a flame. Though he wasn't the brightest of men, he was talented with his hands and relatively kind. If anything, he was much too good for Isabelle and her cold, dead heart. It was because of him that she lived in such a fine house and received such excellent lessons.

So as usual, Clary kept quiet the entire time.

* * *

When they both reached the square, the sunlight filtering through the bright, cottony clouds, Meliorn was already climbing down from the board. And most unusual, a crowd was already gathered below. Though the expressions of horror were barely new.

Clary's heart sank - was it the Beast? He wasn't dead, for there would be celebrations in the street, not gasps of terror.

And then Isabelle craned her head towards the notice. She gasped softly, placing a hand against her heart. "Goodness," she said, turning to Clary. "It would seem that your brother has been an exceptionally foolish man and attempted to slay the Beast."

Clary stumbled, head spinning. No. He wasn't that stupid. "What?" she croaked, trying in vain to see the notice, but she was simply too short. "Has he been hurt?"

Isabelle was staring at her, Clary noticed a second later. With disgust and with fear. "The Beast wants another offering," Isabelle said dully, eyes still boring into Clary's own. "Another girl. As punishment for your brother's actions against him."

Clary started, alarmed. "But... he has had his woman for this year already! Emma Carstairs in the Spring."

"Well, evidently she did not please him and is dead," Isabelle said bluntly, shifting as if reluctant to be seen with her. "And now if no one steps forward as a volunteer, the castle will pick one of us at random and send them to that horrid creature to do who knows what to them."

Clary noticed that other girls and parents were shooting her glares and looks full of disgust and contempt. So they also blamed her since she was Jonathan's sister. Clary felt her blood run cold.

She shrank away slightly. "We don't know that the Beast kills those he's sent," Clary whispered, fingers trembling slightly. Though even she couldn't see a way where the girls could still be alive. "We must have faith."

"Faith won't make me immune to the castle," Isabelle laughed bitterly, taking yet another step away from the girl. "My poor Mama will have a turn when she hears this news. What your brother has brought down upon us." _What you have,_ she seemed to add. Though how it was her own fault, Clary was mystified. Isabelle left Clary to the mercy of the gossiping and growing steadily more angry crowd. Fearing for her life, Clary left too.

* * *

It was halfway up the hill leading towards the old watchtower ruins that it truly hit Clary that her brother was most likely dead. She doubled over, hand upon her stomach as the sobs came and tears rolled down her cheeks. Gone. Her only family was gone. And now she was alone. It was a grief that couldn't be spoken.

"Oh Jonathan," Clary whispered, sinking down upon the soft emerald grass and bringing her knees up to her chest. It felt like there was a hollow inside of her chest. "You fool. You utterly idiotic fool!" He had probably slipped into the castle to bring back the Beast's head to try and impress Isabelle. Cold, heartless Isabelle. And now he had ruined not only his life, but his sister's own and some poor girl in the village's family too. If the lottery was anything like the usual one, tomorrow at dawn a representative from the castle would appear at the door of the girl's family and take her away before the sun was barely in the sky. After that, who knew what lay beyond inside of that castle? The Beast took the form of a man during the night hours, and a gigantic golden bear with glowing dark aureate eyes during the day. He had controlled the western isles for as long as anyone could remember. One day life had been normal and monotonous, and then the next he was there, terrorising the King and his people. When he had made his first demand for a woman, an entire town was said to have stormed the castle in which he had made his home. None made it out alive and the Beast ventured forth into the town the next evening and revealed his monstrous form to keep them frightened and docile. They could hardly move away with their meagre salaries and the journey across the treacherous waters was enough to put anyone off. And the land bridge was a week's walk away.

Some, like Isabelle and her family, stayed out of defiance. Or so they claimed. Clary hadn't helped but notice that no rich family had ever been hit by the Beast, no girl taken. It made her feel bitter - why were they above the poor? Isabelle evidently had not made the connection, and Clary didn't intend on enlightening her anytime soon.

 **oOoOo**

When Clary returned to the estate, she was immediately called into Robert Lightwood's office. Nervous, Clary smoothed down the front of her moss-coloured dress and walked forward. Normally she and the elder man were on good terms, so Clary had no idea what could possibly be wrong. Though her mind immediately jumped to the worst scenario possible.

"Sit," he grunted the moment she stepped into the room. Frightened, Clary obeyed, saying nothing.

Robert sighed and scrubbed his hand across his stubbled cheek. "I have a problem, Clarissa. Or rather, you do."

"What's wrong?" Clary asked, her eyes wide and frightful. Surely he wasn't going to throw her out just because of Jonathan? It was hardly her fault that he had done such a terribly dumb thing.

"I'm afraid that you cannot stay here any longer now. I'm sure you understand why?"

Clary's silence was answer enough.

Robert paused, then "You simply cannot pay us for lodgings and lessons. Your brother was your only source of income after all. Now that he is gone... I'm sorry."

Tears sparkled in Clary's eyes. So she was being thrown out after all. She had lived on the Lightwood estate for next to three years after they'd offered her a chance of education and freedom from the orphanage. They hadn't asked for much money, but it had still left a considerable dent in the money Jonathan brought in, even when he advanced from apprentice to a true blacksmith. He had chosen to sleep there rather than find a house. It was only more expenditure.

"But where will I go?" Clary whispered. Once more her hands were shaking something fierce. "I-I don't have any money saved up. And I am too old for the orphanage now." Not that she'd ever return. It was the place of nightmares.

"We need a new servant in the kitchen," Robert told her quietly. "You may have the position if you want it. It's not much, but it'll keep you off the streets. I'm sorry, I truly am. You can stay in your quarters tonight, but tomorrow I expect to see your dresses turned in and personal belongings moved downstairs."

A servant in the kitchens. Clary felt low, useless even. All her education and she was to be thrown into the kitchen. But it was true; she had nowhere to go.

"I'll take it." Her shoulders slumped.

Robert had always been fond of the quiet little mouse and it pained him greatly to see her fall in such a way. Isabelle saw her as a servant already, and his wife thought Clary as nothing more than filth walking around the house, cursing her husband and his kind heart. After all, it had been he who had saved Clary from hell and even gotten Jonathan the position in the blacksmiths.

And now it was all for nothing.

"I am so sorry," Robert repeated again when Clary rose to her feet. She nodded but didn't speak, fearing that she would throw up if she tried to.

Clary barely slept that night. Instead she cried and cursed Jonathan for his foolishness, then cried because she missed him. First their parents when they were ten, now Jonathan. Clary had never felt more alone. More cursed.

* * *

When dawn approached, the sun nothing more than a smudge of pink shot through with gold on the horizon, Clary heard horses hooves pound outside and then the clatter of a carriage.

She sat bolt upright. Visitors at such an hour? It was impossible. Unless...

Clary's blood chilled. It made horrible, terrible sense: either she or Isabelle had been drawn and that carriage was bound for...

"I will fear no evil," Clary whispered as she got changed into the most beautiful dress she owned. If she was going to her death, Clary thought that she might as well look nice. The dress was a deep emerald with a sweetheart neckline. There was nothing to show off, but Clary loved it all the same. "Let me be strong," she continued, voice trembling as she pulled on her warm fur coat. She had to try three times before she managed to fasten the buttons correctly. "Let me be brave."

It was only Isabelle awake when she ventured down the sweeping marble staircase. The girl hadn't even changed, ebony hair a crown atop her head and nightgown long and silken. Clary immediately noticed the way she was watching her, the smallest of smirks about her lips. "Hurry up now," she called.

"You haven't changed," Clary breathed. "Are you that certain? Have they said something?"

Isabelle arched a delicate eyebrow. She scoffed. "Of course, silly girl. Of course it's not me who will be going! Seeing as it's your brother that brought this calamity down upon us, I didn't think you'd object to being volunteered. My mother and the townsfolk agreed that it's the noblest thing someone in your... _Position_ can do."

Clary heard the girl's words, but they barely registered. The world spun around and around as if trapped in a whirlpool of color and Clary almost lost her balance. "No-" she croaked, backing away. "No! This is not my fault! You had no right! No right at all to do such a thing!"

"As your new owner, I had every right, you foul little creature. You may dress up in silks, but we all know what you are: timid street filth that would never amount to anything. Even your own brother barely spent time with you! Surely that was sign enough that no one is bothered with you. That no one wants you around them."

And then Clary did the boldest move of her entire life: she slapped Isabelle Lightwood right across the face.

After a moment of pure, stunned silence, Isabelle clenched her hands into fists. "I pity the Beast," she whispered, then swung hard and fast.

Intense, blinding pain, and then everything drained away into darkness and oblivion.

 **oOoOo**

 **Thank you so much for the reviews! So happy that you liked the prologue and I hope you also loved chapter one of** _ **Heartless**_ **! As you've probably figured out, some characters are OOC. But hey, who doesn't like OOC? So much more fun to work with! Next chapter we will meet our elusive Beast. Big, fluffy and golden. Maybe Jace/the Beast should have been described as a giant Chihuahua instead of a bear, haha!**

 **Also, how is everyone enjoying the Shadowhunters show? It's uh... I'm not sure about it.**

 **And pretty please drop some more reviews!**


	3. Chapter Two

_"Rule two: to see the Beast at night is to lose your heart and your soul."_

 **oOoOo**

Clary's head throbbed, impossibly painful when she awoke. The ground was trembling beneath her. _No,_ she realised, pulling herself up into a sitting position, _I'm in a carriage._

In a carriage bound for Hell.

The seats were impossibly lush and expensive. Even the Lightwood's had not been able to afford such luxurious material. Clary didn't even know its name as her fingers stroked it repetitively. It was soothing. And then she turned her aching head to the matter at hand.

The Beast. What future awaited her when they made it to the colossal black castle hidden in the depths of a forest so thick that barely anyone dared to venture forth? Clary peered past the drawn curtains; they were rushing down an unmarked dirt track, the trees barely inches away from her nose. When she peered closer, she gasped: the trees were moving out of the carriage's way! They parted through the green as easily as a hot knife through butter. A glance back told her that the trees had resumed their usual positions upon the forest floor.

Magic. That was the only answer for such a thing. Not the magic of a card trickster, but true and pure magic.

Doomed. She was doomed. Clary pulled back and sank down into the seat, bringing her shaking palms together.

And then she began to pray.

The castle was as vast as the tales said. When Clary spied it through the curtains, she stilled: it was nothing more than a collection of towers and sharp spires that seemed to scrape the darkening sky. It looked like something out of her darkest dreams. Or maybe her nightmares.

How long had they been traveling? Clary's stomach growled in fury, demanding to be fed. Surely she would be allowed food at least?

And then at long last, the carriage stopped and the rumbling of hooves ceased to be no more. Silence, then footsteps crunching upon gravel met her ears. Clary recoiled when a shadow crossed the door and then opened it.

"Oh," the figure said in evident surprise. Clary couldn't see his face in the gathering darkness. "You're awake. Good! Come along then."

Very hesitantly, Clary ventured forth and took a shaking step out of the carriage. Directly above her loomed the castle of nightmares and when she craned her head backwards, trying to see the top of the monstrous creation, she couldn't even see halfway. The dragon gargoyles leered down at her, teeth bared in a feral snarl. She could almost feel the ghost of them latched on her throat.

"Miss?"

Clary started, skittering back a few steps. "Yes?" she squeaked, turning her attention on the carriage driver. She had to blink twice at the sight of a boy not much older than her, so very normal looking with brown hair smoothed back from his face. In the shadows his eyes seemed almost black, though they were probably the same color as his hair.

Normal. Human. This place had human slaves. Or staff? Clary didn't know. And she would probably never find out.

"Look -" he sighed heavily, "I know you're confused, frightened and upset. Of course you are. But you must be hungry? It was a long journey from your home."

Clary shook her head. "It wasn't my home," she found herself saying. "I don't have a home. I belong nowhere."

"Come on; you'll feel better once you've eaten. Everyone does." He gestured towards the door and Clary nodded tightly, trying to ignore the unsettling thoughts in her head.

 _Everyone does._ How many girls had this boy seen pass through, then die? How many had he brought to their death? She was just his latest. The words were probably rehearsed as well.

The castle was even dark and shadowy inside. Though night had begun to fall fast, the torches remained unlit. When Clary voiced this to the boy, he chuckled quietly. "The Master isn't fond of lights at night."

"Why?"

"You'll find out why soon enough. Though it's not wise to ask too many questions in this place, I will warn you."

"Why?"

"Didn't I just warn you about questions?"

Clary shut up and followed him inside, her footsteps echoing off the stone floor. "At least tell me your name," she chanced.

The boy sighed heavily and Clary didn't understand. "Curious one, eh? It's Simon," he replied. There was no other exchange afterwards. Clary followed him through the almost endless corridors until they came to a set of colossal doors, the dining room behind it. Simon ushered Clary through and told her to eat what she wished, then to call him when she was done.

In the end, Clary ate nothing at all. Not one bite, no matter how tempting it looked. She couldn't stomach it, especially after hearing the distant roars of a bear somewhere in the castle.

* * *

After her failed dinner, Clary was shown to a bedroom deep within the castle. At least there was light in there, candles lit and dotting the room. Simon told her if she needed something, all she had to do was ring the little silver bell at her bedside. "My Master would like to see you in the morning. So get some sleep." Simon closed the door behind him and Clary heard the lock snap into place.

She couldn't leave her room even if she wanted to.

It was a beautiful room. The walls were a bright gold, a dark fireplace set into one with a large mirror the shape of an oval above. Pushed against the opposite wall was a four poster bed with crimson hangings and covers that matched the walls. Even the tall curtains in the room reached to the top of the giant window. When Clary drew them back, she stared. Stared at the vast and almost endless ocean of dark green before her. In the day she knew it would be a stunning emerald. They truly were in the middle of nowhere. She tried the doors to the balcony, but they were shut tight.

Clary drew the curtains once more and turned away. She wanted to check the wardrobe for a change of clothes, but she didn't dare snoop more. Instead, she curled up upon the top of the covers and watched the candle burn lower and lower until she finally fell asleep.

 **oOoOo**

In the end it was her starving belly that got her into trouble. When Clary awoke in the dead of night, she was so very hungry that it hurt. Very carefully she felt around the floorboards until she found a loose nail and pulled it free. Then, just as cautiously, she knelt before the door and inserted the nail into the lock.

Clary had learned how to pick a lock long ago when she was still in the orphanage. Jonathan and the older children, the thieves, had forced her on many occasions to watch out for the law while they worked at a window or lock.

A minute later and it clicked open. Relieved, Clary doubled back and snagged one of the still burning candles and ventured into the dark corridor in search of the kitchen, cursing herself for not forcing down dinner before.

Clary had never known such a penetrating darkness. The candle barely did anything, light shining weakly before her. It was like the very essence of the flame was being stolen away, devoured by the deep shadows. And to make matters worse, she hadn't the faintest idea where she was going.

There was stupid ideas, and then there was this.

Through the black, Clary heard soft and thudding footsteps. She stopped dead, clutching her worthless candle before her, breath catching in her throat. The footsteps stopped, but still Clary didn't dare move.

A wind as strong as a hurricane blew wildly down the corridor, utterly taking Clary by surprise; she dropped the extinguished candle and clutched onto the wall as best she could, trying to stay on her feet.

And then the wind stopped and a low, growling voice said "How the blazes did you get out of your room, human?"

Clary flinched violently, taking a hasty step back while squinting through the darkness - she couldn't _see_ anyone.

"I picked the door. I was hungry," she chanced.

A snort. "You didn't eat a bite earlier. Afraid that it was poisoned, maybe? So foolish..."

It was a male voice. Deep and angry, full of disapproval. _Could it be-?_ Clary wondered. "Who are you? Was that... Magic?"

Silence and then the figure in the darkness chuckled under his breath. "Who do you think I am, girl? I am not a servant. Not a weakling. Also, I am wearing the cover of darkness."

"No need to be rude about it." Him. It truly was him. The creature, the monster that ruled their lives and kept them trapped inside of a cage of ivory claws and teeth. "Why are you wandering the corridors in the pitch black? Can you even see?" Clary was surprised at her own boldness.

"No," he replied shortly, offering no explanation as to his nighttime wandering. "I cannot see. But I have lived here a long time, child; I know these walls and corridors just as well in the dark as broad daylight."

Clary's foot nudged the candle stub. "Well, if that's true, would you mind terribly and take me to the kitchen? Or is that beneath someone like you." Again, a flash of boldness that she didn't know she had.

The Beast snorted and Clary heard footsteps. Not the thumps of a giant creature, but human footsteps. She screamed when a hand latched itself onto her wrist.

Now the beast - no, the man, hissed "Do you want to wake up the entire castle? Foolish child!"

Clary gasped when the fingers curled around her narrow wrist. So the tales were indeed true: a Beast by day and man by night. She made to squint through the darkness, but soon thought better of it when she recalled that to see the man was a curse. Instant death. So was kissing him, but Clary had no intentions of kissing death.

"Are you done with the screaming?" he said grumpily pulling at her wrist so that she followed him down the corridor at a brisk walk. Clary was almost jogging to keep up.

"I apologise," she panted, rounding a sharp corner.

"Stairs," the beast now grunted, slowing them down to a crawl. He let her go so that she could take ahold of the marble railing, but at the bottom his fingers were a manacle once more.

Clary had expected to see moonlight outside, or stars maybe, but there was nothing. Just endless darkness and shadows. Even the shadows seemed to have even darker shadows. And from within those dark shadows, Clary swore that she heard whispers and felt unseen eyes watching her every step through the gloom.

"How much further?" Clary asked when they descended yet another set of stairs. She got no answer this time. And then he stopped them.

"This is where I leave you. Dawn is fast approaching and I cannot be here when it arrives. Goodnight, girl." Clary heard a sigh of intense frustration. When she asked, panicked, about how she was going to find her room again, she received no answer. The Beast was gone already.

To her immense surprise, the chandelier above the great dark wooden table was alight when she stepped into the kitchen. It was a large room filled with pots and pans of every size. Clary almost moaned with delight when she spied the bread rolls in the wicker basket. She dashed over and tore into one immediately. They were slightly warm still.

After eating so much bread she might explode, Clary ventured back into the castle. She desperately tried to retrace her steps through the darkness, but it was hopeless. In the end she waited by a window, watching and waiting for the sunrise to peek its head above the treeline. Not too long after, it did and Clary found that she could just about see the outline of the corridors and doors. So she set off.

It was just around two more corners when the soft footsteps reached her ears. Alarmed, Clary spun around. There; she could see the form of someone waiting, watching. There was a thick line of white across his eyes that made Clary take a few steps back from horror. What was covering his eyes? The shadows were indeed alive.

She ran and didn't stop running until she found her bedroom. Once she was there, Clary began praying once more, her voice punctuated by tears.

Dawn was here. Death had come on swift wings for her.

 **oOoOo**

Simon came for her just before midday, dressed in a dark golden jacket shot through with red. His eyes were tired and bleary, much like Clary's own. When he told her that she had been summoned, she trembled and refused to change her dress. She wanted to run and never stop running.

"How long have you been here?" Clary asked, trotting alongside him. Anything to forget where she was going.

Simon cast her a quick look. "Since I was about eight. My sister was chosen and... I had nowhere to go. So I came here to work; he needed someone, so he kept me. For my sacrifice... He let my sister go. I sent her far, far away." He swallowed hard. "I will never see her again. But she is safe and free, that's all I need to know to keep me going."

"I'm sorry," Clary said quietly, sincerely. What a noble boy walked beside her. "Is there no way of escaping? Of being freed?"

Simon chuckled, flashing her a sad smile. "Only one way. Which, I'm afraid, will never come to pass. Are you ready?" he nodded to the oaken door.

No. Never. "Yes." Without waiting for him to open the door, she threw them wide and walked inside.

Before the towering dormer window, the bear sat.

Though his size had been greatly exaggerated, he was still gigantic, at least as tall as a fully grown man and twice as long. His coat was long, shaggy and the most beautiful dark gold Clary had ever seen. Ivory claws as long as her entire hand protruded from a huge paw.

At her entrance, the Beast turned its piercing gaze upon her; Clary met strikingly golden eyes and just stared. She thought that she'd feel fear at her first glance at the Beast, but all she knew was wonder. And then, finally, fear took over.

This truly was the creature.

The Beast cocked its head inquisitively. It's mouth moved. "You look like some terrified terrified mouse, child." He sounded less than pleased at the fact.

Clary ignored his words and sank down onto her knees upon the lush red carpet, pressing her palms together. Her voice wavered. "Let me be brave. Let me feel no pain nor fear as-"

Thudding footsteps. A flash of gold. "So resigned to your fate, little one?"

She didn't look up. Didn't dare to. The power radiated from him in waves, taking her breath away. He _was_ magic. Instead she prayed for a quick death. A merciful death.

It never came.

The Beast sighed in exasperation. "I merely wished to introduce myself and inquire as to your own name. Is that so terrible?"

Clary looked up, eyes widening in unconcealed shock. "Excuse me, Sir?"

"What is your name? Simon neglected to tell me. And I don't recall you informing me last night."

She was still alive. How was that possible? Very carefully, Clary rose to her feet. "Clarissa Morgenstern," she said cautiously. "Clary."

The great bear nodded and Clary was struck by how intelligent those eyes were. "Clary," his rumbling voice said, "Welcome."

"So... You're not going to eat me, Sir?" Clary asked in a nervous whisper.

He looked startled at that. "Eat you? Why would I do such a thing? You wouldn't taste any good. Not until you were cooked, at least."

Clary felt faint. Evidently noticing her distress, the Beast spoke again, growling voice softer than ever before. "Sorry. It was a joke. As you've probably guessed, I cannot exactly go out and socialise whenever I want to."

"Apology accepted, Sir."

The deep rumble in his chest returned and Clary took a step back as he flexed those long and lethal claws. "Stop calling me that. _Sir_."

"Then what should I call you?" Did he even have a name? What about when he was human? Or looked human at least.

"Anything. Anything but that. Please."

Clary nodded, clasping her hands before her.

"I want to show you the castle," the Beast said quietly, gesturing towards the door with a giant forepaw. "If you'd let me?"

What else did she have to lose? Her life was already forfeit, belonging to the monster before her. Plus this would be an excellent opportunity to look for escape routes. "I- I would like that. I think," she chanced.

The Beast nodded. "Come then, Clary." He padded past her and Clary couldn't help but wonder two things; why she was still alive, and if he had indeed never killed anyone... where were the other girls?

There was a strange magic at work in the castle, and she was determined to stay alive long enough to discover just what it was.

* * *

 **And another chapter! The plot thickens. So much mystery and intrigue. And of course, we have meet Beast!Jace. And his human form, though you couldn't see him. It's really rather fun writing this story! Retellings are great to plot and write. And for those wondering: how the heck is romance supposed to work with Jace like this? Have no fear! I think you'll like what's coming.**

 **It looks like everyone is also conflicted about the TV show. After the state of the third episode, I think that I might give up. It feels like they're trying too hard now, sadly. But I desperately want to see Jonathan on the silver screen!**

 **Thank you for the reviews! Anons, you have been cracking me up. Especially the one named Faith. (Girl, get an account and PM me and let's be friends. Yep.) Next chapter we shall be joining Clace on their tour of the castle. And things happen. Are they good or bad things? Find out next chapter! Don't forget to review! Thanks guys! x**


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